State Legislature Moves Closer To Ending Helmet Law

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LANSING (WWJ) – Motorcycle helmet use for adults would no longer be required in Michigan under legislation approved in a state house committee on Wednesday. This is a big accomplishment for bikers, who have protested the mandatory helmet law since the 1970s.

Under the bill, only those bikers ages 21 and older could ride without a helmet.

Republican State Representative Peter Pettralia from Presque Isle says this current measure will help the state.

“The bill is providing safety, along with allowing Michigan to grab these tourists that are traveling through all the states that surround us, and oftentimes up through Wisconsin, avoiding coming into Michigan because of our helmet laws,” says Pettralia.

The bills were approved on a 13-to-14 vote, despite opposition from several health and safety organizations.